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Golden State Warriors Projected to Make Shocking Trade With Dallas Mavericks

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | Last updated May 26, 2025 11:17 AM ET

The Golden State Warriors have an open championship window with Stephen Curry at the helm.

The legendary guard, accompanied by Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green, is a strong building block for a title-contending team.

Evidently, Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. has his work cut out for him this summer.

To take a leap from a strong playoff team to a title contender, Golden State will need to make a few moves that pay off.

After Curry's incredible campaign, marked by an All-NBA Second Team selection, the Warriors roughly know what changes need to be made.

Golden State has a couple of needs to address. There is a lack of a big man presence, so landing a center could be massively beneficial.

On top of that, there was a lack of floor spacing on the hardwood, which makes it more difficult for Curry, Butler and Green to create.

ClutchPoints' Jedd Pagaduan has a fix for the floor-spacing issue. The Warriors, in this hypothetical, strike a deal with the Dallas Mavericks to see Klay Thompson return to the Bay Area.

They trade Moses Moody and Gui Santos in this hypothetical, returning just Thompson.

"Klay Thompson may not be the player he once was, and he's had his fair share of playoff stinkers over the past few years. But if the Warriors were to make another deep playoff run, it's only right that Thompson be a part of it," Pagaduan writes.

In a return to the Warriors, Thompson would be a third or fourth option, with Curry and Butler leading the way.

This would be Golden State going away from any youth they do have, however, and leaning into their old age and short championship window.

"Thompson should at least be better than the version of Moody that showed up in the 2025 NBA playoffs. Moody stunk up the joint and ended up being outside of the rotation until injuries forced the Dubs to bring him back in," Pagaduan continues.

Evidently, Thompson would be better off with the Warriors in a role that doesn't require him to be a second option.

While Moody did struggle in the postseason, he was battling an injury that required surgery after the season. Following the trade deadline, when the team added Butler, he was superb in the starting lineup.

This trade would be an all-in move that certainly might not pay off.

As for the Mavericks, they are getting Cooper Flagg as they have the No. 1 overall selection in the coming draft. They don't need Thompson as their timeline could shift after recent changes (i.e., shockingly dealing Luka Doncic).

Warriors fans might not love this trade idea. Mavericks fans might not love this trade idea. It's unlikely to happen.

But the idea of Thompson returning and winning another title alongside the core of Curry and Green is certainly a fun one for nostalgic basketball fans.

There was a reason Thompson left in free agency, though. It was time to write a new chapter in his career. The Bay Area needed change, too.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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